Combined play house and storage cabinet

ABSTRACT

A combination play house, e.g., a doll house, and a storage cabinet includes a housing that defines an enclosure with at least one partition that, in turn, defines at least two compartments within the enclosure. At least one compartment is decorated with a printed depiction of a dwelling interior. The enclosure can have closure panels that serve as doors for the storge cabinet and also provide a printed depiction of a dwelling exterior.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/307,498 filed on Jul. 24, 2001.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to toys. In particular, this invention relates to a play house, e.g., a doll house, that can also serve as a storage cabinet when not in use in as a play house.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Play houses, for example doll houses, are popular toys with young girls. Such items do take up valuable space in the home, however, especially after the child has grown older and plays with the doll house less frequently, if at all. At such time it would be desirable to utilize the doll house for other purposes. To that end the present invention provides a practical solution—a play house that can be readily utilized as a storage cabinet when not used as a toy but readily convertible back to play house use without the need for any structural modification.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A dual purpose article of manufacture is provided by the present invention. In particular, a combination play house and storage cabinet includes an upstanding, self-supporting housing that defines an enclosure which can be with or without closure panels that serve as doors for the storage cabinet as well as provide a printed depiction of a dwelling exterior when the article of manufacture is utilized as a play house, for example, a doll house.

At least one partition is provided within the housing and defines at least two compartments within the enclosure. Preferably several partitions, vertical as well as horizontal, are provided to define a “multi-story” and “multi-room” play house. One or more of these compartments is decorated, for example, lined with printed material, preferably sheet-form printed material with an adhesive backing, which printed material depicts a dwelling interior. The individual compartments can have the same size or different sizes, as desired.

Optionally, a storage bin with a hinged cover or lid can be provided in the upper portion of the housing. The storage bin can be sized to receive a relatively small mattress for changing a baby. The hinged cover or lid can have on the inner surface thereof a printed depiction of a city skyline, a landscape, and the like, as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing embodying the present invention and provided with a storage bin in the upper portion thereof, the storage bin being open and the lid of the storage bin being raised to reveal the inside surface thereof;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the housing showing in FIG. 1 but with the storage bin lid being in closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the same housing as showing in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevation showing an interior version embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, inclusive, upstanding and self-supporting housing 10 is constituted by side panels 12 and 14, pivotably mounted, e.g., hinged, front panels 16 and 18, back panel 20 (FIG. 3), base 26, and lid 22 pivotally mounted, for example by a piano hinge (not shown) to back panel 20). Storage bin 24 is defined in the upper portion of housing 10. Lid 22 provides closure for bin 24.

Inner surface 27 of lid 22 is provided with a printed depiction 28 of an outdoor scene such as a city skyline, landscape, and the like. The printed depiction 28 can simulate a picture window as shown in FIG. 1, or the depiction 28 can cover the entire inner surface 27 of lid 22 with a sheet-form printed scene, as desired.

Referring to FIG. 4, enclosure 30 defined by housing 10 serves as storage space when housing 10 is not in use as a play house. Bin 24 provides one storage compartment, and enclosure 30 can be partitioned into several compartments by vertical partitions 32 and 34, as well as by horizontal partitions 36 and 38 that can also serve as storage shelves. When the principal use of housing 10 is that as a play house, storage bin 24 can serve as a temporary repository for items such as doll house furniture, and the like. Alternatively, the storage bin can be sized to receive a mattress which serves as a changing platform for a baby.

Inner surfaces 40 and 42 of respective hinged panels 16 and 18 are provided with printed pictorial representations 44 and 46 of a dwelling exterior. Preferably panels 16 and 18 are pivotably mounted so that these panels can be folded back to abut against side panels 12 and 14.

Inside compartments 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62, defined by partitions 32, 34, 36 and 38 are decorated, i.e., lined with printed depictions of dwelling interiors 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74 and 76 such as wall-papered walls, with or without simulated windows, paintings, and similar decorative items.

Partitions 32, 34, 36 and 38 are made of sufficiently sturdy material of construction to serve as shelf support and shelves, respectively. The printed pictorial interior and exterior lining the various surfaces can be provided on a sheet-form material such as adhesive-backed paper, e.g., contact paper, that also provides a smooth surface for the storage compartments.

The combination play house and storage cabinet can be made in any convenient size. In one preferred embodiment, the play house and storage cabinet is about 48 inches wide, about 50 inches high, and about 22 inches deep. The storage bin depth is about 7 inches. The compartments are of unequal size. The relatively larger decorated compartments have an opening of about 14 inches by about 23⅝ inches, and the relatively smaller decorated compartments have an opening of about 14 inches by about 11¾ inches.

In another preferred embodiment, the combined play house and storage cabinet has a width-to-height ratio greater than 1 and is about 48 inches wide, about 35½ inches high and about 21½ inches deep. Four equal size, decorated compartments in two columns are provided within, and each has an opening of about 14 inches by about 23⅝ inches. The top storage bin is dimensioned to receive a baby mattress pad.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the combined play house and storage cabinet has a width-to-height ratio less than 1 and is about 36 inches wide, about 50 inches high, and about 15½ inches deep. Six equal size, decorated compartments in two columns (three in each column) are provided within and each has an opening of about 14 inches by about 17¼ inches. The storage bin in this particular embodiment is about 7 inches in interior depth and has an interior bottom area of about 35 inches by about 15 inches.

The foregoing description and the drawings are intended as illustrative of the present invention, and are not to be taken as limiting. Still other variations within the spirit and scope of the present invention are possible and will readily present themselves to those skilled in the art. 

1. The combination play house and storage cabinet which comprises: an upstanding, self-supporting housing, defining an enclosure; at least one partition within the housing, defining at least two compartments within the enclosure; and at least one of the compartments being lined with printed material that depicts an interior of a dwelling.
 2. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 1 wherein the housing is provided with hinged door panels for the enclosure.
 3. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 1 wherein the housing at the upper portion thereof defines a storage bin.
 4. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 3 wherein the storage bin has a size sufficient to receive a baby's mattress.
 5. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 3 wherein a hinged lid is provided for the storage bin.
 6. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 5 wherein said lid has an outer surface and an inner surface, and wherein a printed depiction of an outdoor scene is provided on the inner surface.
 7. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 1 wherein plural shelves are provided within the housing and define plural compartments within the enclosure, at least one of the compartments being lined with sheet-form printed material that depicts an interior of a dwelling.
 8. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 7 wherein each compartment is lined with sheet-form printed material that depicts an interior of a dwelling.
 9. The combination play house and storage cabinet which comprises: an upstanding, self-supporting housing, defining an enclosure; at least one partition within the housing, defining at least two compartments within the enclosure; and a pair of panels pivotably connected to the housing, having an inner surface and outer surface, and providing a closure for the enclosure; at least one of the panels having a printed pictorial representation of a dwelling exterior on the inner surface.
 10. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 9 wherein both panels have a pictorial representation of a dwelling exterior on the respective inner surfaces thereof.
 11. The combination play house and storage cabinet which comprises: an upstanding, self-supporting housing, defining an enclosure; at least one partition within the housing, defining at least two compartments within the enclosure; and at least one of the compartments being decorated to depict an interior of a dwelling.
 12. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 wherein the housing is provided with hinged door panels for the enclosure.
 13. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 wherein the housing at the upper portion thereof defines a storage bin.
 14. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 13 wherein a hinged lid is provided for the storage bin.
 15. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 13 wherein the storage bin has a size sufficient to receive a baby's mattress.
 16. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 and having a width-to-height ratio greater than
 1. 17. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 and having a width-to-height ratio less than
 1. 18. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 and having four equal size compartments arranged in two columns with two compartments in each column.
 19. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 and having six equal size compartments arranged in two columns with three compartments in each column.
 20. The combination play house and storage cabinet in accordance with claim 11 wherein the compartments are of unequal size. 